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Entries from August 2009

Bending over to anti-science syndrome (A.S.S.) tantrums

August 7th, 2009 · 2 Comments

Spreading across the United States is a screaming mass threatening the very underpinnings of American democracy.  As put elsewhere, In a democracy, power comes from the ability to persuade. You win because people like your ideas. The Republicans are admitting they can’t win a fair fight. They are cowards. While the attention is focused on […]

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Tags: climate change · climate delayers · Global Warming · global warming deniers · government energy policy · republican party

Screaming Deniers are Getting What They Deserve: Victory

August 7th, 2009 · Comments Off on Screaming Deniers are Getting What They Deserve: Victory

An impassioned guest post from Max Gottlieb about the pace and nature of public discussion, and how serious money and serious distortion are helping prevent movement toward a more sensible, more prosperous, more sustainable future. Impassioned screaming, even from ill-formed anti-science syndrome sufferers can have an impact … We have used up all slack in […]

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Tags: catastrophic climate change · climate change · climate delayers · Energy

Six Degrees of Intertwining

August 6th, 2009 · 3 Comments

I have this private mantra: it’s all about energy, it’s all about climate. Somewhat like six degrees of separation, no matter the issue area, I can (I will …) bring any and all conversation items back to our energy and climate challenges. But, when it comes to health (and health care) and energy, we’re not […]

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Tags: Energy

Getting to the Bonner & A.S.S. Fraud

August 6th, 2009 · Comments Off on Getting to the Bonner & A.S.S. Fraud

See the Avaaz Action Factory’s discussion of this anti-science syndrome (A.S.S.) promotion. From their first visit to Bonner & A.S.S.

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Tags: Energy

Climate Bill Dead: The Answer is Blowing in the Wind

August 6th, 2009 · 2 Comments

A Fish Out of Water struggles to survive, finding a path toward a safer environment. FishOutofWater is a thoughtful, engaged scientist, passionately struggling to help us find our way toward a prosperous, climate-friendly future. Here is a guest post laying out how, with just two renewable sources, the United States could power its way out […]

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Tags: climate change · Energy · energy efficiency · politics · renewable energy · renewable fuel · waxman-markey · wind power

Well-worn excuses: ACCCE and others have been practicing

August 5th, 2009 · 4 Comments

Amid the Bonner & Associates, Hawthorn Group, American Coalition for Clean-Coal Electricity shenanigans of falsified (fraudulent) letters, with all implicated in LetterGate pointing fingers away from themselves, we have to ask: Do these excuses and explanations pass a basic laugh test? Two quick examples of patterns that suggest some laughter could be in order. ACCCE […]

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Tags: truthiness

The dog ate my homework: Excuses for ACES letter fraud proliferate

August 4th, 2009 · 3 Comments

My pencil broke … The library was closed … My alarm clock didn’t go off … Car had a flat tire … The dog ate my homework … Excuses. Excuses. Excuses. Excuses … When it comes to the fraudulent letters sent to members of Congress against clean energy action by Bonner & Associates on behalf […]

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Tags: astroturfing · coal · Congress · Energy · government energy policy · politics · renewable energy

Robbing from Peter to Pay (a lesser) Paul: CFC’s funding stream

August 4th, 2009 · Comments Off on Robbing from Peter to Pay (a lesser) Paul: CFC’s funding stream

While the Cash for Clunkers (CARS Program) should be extended, we have to be clear here: this is an economic stimulus and jobs program which happens to have some energy security and environmental benefits.  Yet, the Obama Administration (Office of Management and Budget?) was the power behind the scenes in seeing that the funding stream […]

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Tags: automobiles · Congress · government energy policy · renewable energy

Merkley-Lugar Introduce Energy Smart Legislation

August 4th, 2009 · 4 Comments

A rough rule of thumb is that energy efficiency requires investment upfront (investment isn’t only cash, but also thinking) for lower costs into the future.  Thus, energy efficiency is a central arena where thinking “cost to buy” often conflicts with more sensible thinking about “cost to own” (CtB v CtO).  And, when it comes to […]

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Tags: Congress · energy efficiency · government energy policy

Now I’m outraged … ACCCE knew prior to vote …

August 4th, 2009 · 1 Comment

As discussed yesterday, the pro-coal astroturf American Coalition for Clean-Coal Electricity (ACCCE) stated that it was “outraged” that its contractor, Donner & Associates had forged (oops, that an intern or temp or contract employee, no longer with the group had forged) letters from two minority organizations to Representative Tom Perriello trying to create a (false) […]

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Tags: astroturfing · cap and trade · carbon dioxide · climate delayers · climate legislation · coal · Congress